Abstract： Objective To analyze risk factors associated with postoperative respiratory failure in patients with valvular surgery. Methods Between January 2001 and November 2010, clinical data of 618 patients with 339 males and 279 fameles at age of 10-74（44.01±13.95）years,undergoing valvular operations were investigated retrospectively. We divided the patients into two groups according to the presence （74 patients）or absence（544 patients）of postoperative respiratory failure. Its risk factors were evaluated by univariate and multivariate logistic regression analysis. Results The hospital mortality rate of valvular surgery was 6.1%（38/618）.The morbidity rate of respiratory failure was 12.0%（74/618） with hospital mortality rate at 17.6%（13/74） which was significantly higher than those patients without postoperative respiratory failure at 4.6%（25/544, χ2=18.994, P=0.000）. Univariate analysis showed age＞ 65 years（P=0.005）, New York Heart Association（NYHA）classⅣ（P=0.014）, election fraction＜ 50.0%（P=0.003）, cardiopulmonary bypass time＞ 3 h（P=0.001）, aortic cross clamping time＞ 2 h（P=0.008）, concomitant operation（ valvular operation with coronary artery bypass grafting, Bentall or radiofrequency ablation maze operation（P=0.000）, reoperation（P=0.012）, postoperative complications （P=0.000）, and blood transfusion＞ 2 000 ml（P=0.000） were important risk factors for postoperative respiratory failure. Multivariate logistic regression showed that concomitant operation（P=0.003）, reoperation（P=0.010）, postoperative complications（P=0.000）, and blood transfusion＞2 000 ml（P=0.012）were significant independent predictive risk factors. Conclusion This study suggest that patients with predictive risk factors of postoperative respiratory failure need more carefully treated. The morbidity of these patients would be reduced through improving perioperative management, shortening cardiopulmonary bypass time and reducing postoperative complications.